


Don't Bring Me Down

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Charles Is a Big Dorkface, Charles Is a Darling, Charles You Slut, Erik makes sense, Honestly Charles What Are You Thinking, M/M, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 23:00:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/603028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite it being twelve years in the past, Charles doesn't want to attend Erik's holiday party. At least not without the whole room knowing that he was the student whom Erik slept with back then.</p><p>Especially not when Erik's new principal asks the awkward question, "How did you meet Erik?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Bring Me Down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [listerinezero](https://archiveofourown.org/users/listerinezero/gifts).



> I really hope you enjoy this **listerinezero**.

Charles stares at the email Erik forwarded to him and tries not to gape at it.

“You’re serious?” he asks Erik, just as he hears the sizzle of the steaks in the broiler.

Charles moves closer to the kitchen so that he could speak without having to yell over their still not complete dinner. Erik is nowhere near the over, but he is stirring something on the stovetop as he replies,“Yes, I’m serious. It’s been twelve years since you graduated and you’re my husband. Why shouldn’t I bring you to the school’s holiday party?”

“Because you were sleeping with me when I was in your class and showing up with me might confirm that to all of your colleagues?”

“Do I look like the sort of man who cares what people think about the man I married?”

Charles ponders that for a minute, though it makes him even more nervous. “Well, I know you’re not one to mind something _illegal_ , but I didn’t think you’d want to feed the rumor mill, even now.”

Erik huffs as he inspects whatever is cooking. “I love you, Charles, and I’m tired of wearing a wedding ring and being asked by everyone who you are. I’ll bring you and if they want to say anything, I don’t really care. You’re not going to come forward now and press charges against me sleeping with you now, so it’s not important.”

“For a physicist, you have an odd sort of logic,” Charles adds just as he wraps his arms around Erik’s waist at the stove.

“You’re the biologist, and yours is just as odd.” Charles just digs in closer to Erik as the food in the pot steams to life. “You can let go now, dinner’s ready.”

Charles pulls away, but stays close by as Erik plates their meals. They walk slowly to the small table in the nook of their apartment.

As they each tuck into their plates, the room fills with a comfortable silence before Charles tries again. “You’re not worried about it? Honestly?”

“No, I’m not. I have no shame for what we did when you were on campus, and I don’t think anyone’s going to be crass enough to say anything. It’ll just be the confirmation they’ve all been dying for.” Erik put a large chunk of steak into this month, a silent but effective way to cut off that conversation.

Charles goes back to his food and does not try to bring it up again. Erik’s mind is not easy to sway, unless Charles feels like putting in the effort to make a seduction out of a Thursday night dinner.

There is always time for that later. Maybe after the party tomorrow night.

*

Charles compulsively straightens his tie with one hand as Erik leads them both into the Chinese restuarant that the school booked for this party. It seems festive enough a place, and the food at least can appeal to everyone.

Or at least he hopes it can. The staff look bored already and there are only a handful of Erik’s colleagues--Charles’ former teachers--there.

At least he sees familiar faces, though they all seem to be staring at him as he keeps his hand wrapped tightly around Erik’s. Darwin and Janos, the two art teachers, are away in the corner sipping ther drinks and watching Charles a bit too closely. He only managed to be in Janos’ Art History course while he was there, but he always admired each of them as friendly and open to the students. Azazel, his European History teacher, is talking with Emma, his French teacher, though it looks like Azazel is about to grab Emma and shake the smug French attitude off her white micro-mini. Logan looks angry in the corner, as if none of his sycophant students could join him in this party.

There is one face Charles is unfamiliar with as they walk into the center of the room, a man with dark black hair and equally dark glasses. He nudges Erik’s side before he whispers, “Who’s that?”

Erik gives him a quizzical look and replies, “That’s Platt, the new principal. Replaced McCone a few years ago. Nice guy, loves Science. You should go talk to him.” Erik starts to push Charles towards the new principal and before Charles can process what’s going on, he’s standing right next to Platt.

“Hello,” Charles starts because he has nothing else to say right now.

“Oh,” Platt turns slightly. “I wasn’t expecting anyone would want to talk to me tonight. Sorry. You’re not part of the faculty, right?”

Charles laughs as he looks at Platt’s confused face. “No, not faculty. Just a spouse. I’m Erik’s husband.”

Platt makes an “oh!” briefly before he continues. “Nice to finally see the man who keeps Erik sane. I heard he was a holy terror to students before he got married.”

It is far too hard to keep the smirk from his face, or the snort that escapes Charles’ lips. “Oh, I heard all about it. He was always so put out by the students.”

“So,” Platt continues, “how did you meet Erik?”

Charles yelps, far too loudly, and so he only has himself to blame when everyone in the room turns their attentions to Charles and Platt. “That’s,” he starts, “that’s an interesting story.” He looks for anything to distract himself from having to tell this story, especially to Erik’s new boss, but he only see Erik by the bar with two drinks in his hands. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting that. I haven’t been to one of these before,” he tries to cover, and give himself more time to come up with a lie. “I actually met Erik at school. I went here.”

Platt looks confused, but holds off on whatever he is going to say for a minute. “You’re a former student?”

“Yes, I graduated in 2000, then I went on to Harvard for my BS and Oxford for my DPhil. I’m with the university; I’m an assistant professor.”

“Wonderful news! I’ll have to make sure that the alumni office knows if we need to reach you.”

“That’s not necessary. I was only a student here for two years, so I don’t think too many people remember me.” Charles, at least, hopes that no one still talks about the student who was always moaning wantonly in Erik’s classroom after hours, especially not with his name attached.

“But with your accomplishments, I’d like to make sure that we highlight them. Have you come in to speak to McCoy’s biology classes about the value of the curriculum here?”

Charles wants to turn tail and leave this whole party. It is stupid for him to be here, even as Erik’s husband. He focuses on how to leave, and how to make it not seem as though he has had a near panic attack in front of Platt when he feels a solid hand against the small of his back. “Have this, Charles. It’ll calm your nerves,” Erik says before he moves one tumbler towards Charles’ right.

There were two glasses in Erik’s hands earlier, but he has lost the ability to focus on that when he sees the scotch in his periphery.

“Platt, you seem to have spooked my husband here. Anything I should worry about?”

Erik’s voice is cool, calm, collected and everything that Charles is not right now. He almost wishes he could stamp on Erik’s foot to jerk him into something more like a frenzy, but he knows that will fail.

“I’m sorry, Erik. I was just trying to convince Charles here to speak to Hank’s classes later about the benefits of the biology courses here.”

“Charles was a great student, if I remember, but he’s very busy with classes and lab time, you’ll understand.”

Platt nods, and Charles nearly falls to the floor in relief. “So sorry, but I forgot about that. I’m teaching a full load and running the intro lab one day of the week. Also, publish or perish.”

“Oh, of course. Sorry I didn’t think of that. But, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Charles. I should go and see how everyone else is doing. They seem to have all come alone tonight.” Platt walks off and Charles finally leans into Erik’s side.

“Thank you,” he says between quick gulps of scotch. “I was about to run out of ways of saying I was the reason you were so grumpy to the other students when I was here. He asked how we met, by the way.”

Erik has a small smile on his face, one that shows off a few of his teeth, but not one that reaches all the way to the corners. “Thank you for that.” It is barely audible, but Charles knows all the same what Erik means.

They had been so hopefully in lust when Charles was seventeen and Erik had been unable to stop staring at him from anywhere on campus, especially in class.

Not that it matters now. Charles is here, and rightfully so, no matter what his presence tells the other faculty here.

Erik leads them to a small table where Logan is seated and that eases some of Charles’ tension. He had always liked Mr. Howlett, but he appreciated him even more now as Charles works with students for the first time.

Logan smirks as they get closer and says nothing else about what he might have assumed happened fourteen years ago.

Charles has never been more grateful.

*

Safely tucked under Erik’s arm, Charles feels better now that the night is over. No one said anything about him and Erik that suggested they were the reason why McCone suddenly left the school once Erik was married, and that was all that matter.

Well, that is not quite true. Erik’s snoring softly into Charles’ hair.

Erik is all that matters to Charles. No matter how they found each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta, and general hand-holder for this one.


End file.
